Rest of Kiwi and Whole of OZ

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Still Alive. Havn't written for a while for a couple of reasons, been really busy, AND back at the end of newzealand I lost a whole blog so have been in abit of a rage ever since. In Cairns now, have been for about a week. Had a wicked birthday, and silly hot weather up here.

Too much effort to write about the rest of newzealand now, just going to have to remeber some highlights.

Queenstown is the best place on earth, had a wicked week there. Favourite night out was gangster night, seems ages ago now but can just about remember most of it. A good 20 of us hit the steets sporting hand drawn tattoos (including drawn on weapons sticking out of our trousers, tear drops, gang signs, and many more), slit eye brows, tank tops, baggy jeans, and questionable jewelry. We bumped into 3 local boys on the way to our second bar who wernt to happy with the way we were dressed. They wore tank tops, bagy jeans, sported tattoos, and were draped in questionable jewelry. As we argued, many of us flashed our fake drawn on weapons, and poitned at our tattoos. They particularly disliked my tear drop tatto, and matt in general. It was amazing, our dressing up box, was their wardrobe. The irony of the whole situation peaked when they half realised we had come dressed as them. The argument continued for a good 10 mintues but unfortunatly eventually fizzled out, it was a shame becuase we could have carried on all night. Was priceless.

Lake taupo was cool, was were dan and james did there skydive. Had a good couple of nights out, but Jamie, Charlie and me will remember it for the Chinese girls. Basically, no where could fit us in as a 6, the three of us checked into a nice little hostel just outside of town. Jamie and charlie where in a seperate dorm to me, a dorm where about 15 chinese girls had just moved in that night. Had a nice BBQ that day, and the six of us had some drinks at the hostel before we headed out. The six of us were involved in a small play fight with each other befroe heading on, smoe beds were messed up, some pillows were thrown, nothign major. Just before we headed off, the 15 chinese girls returned and they were not happy. Jamie and charlie stayed a little later to difuse the situation, Jamie was adimant he had done a good job and they were no longer angry. After a heavy night, i got woken up by jamie and charlie, they told us we had been asked to leave. Jamie couldn't understand why, he was sure it wasnt the chinese girls as he had done such a good job appologising. I sat up, and started packing my bag, safe in the knowledge it was defiantly the chinese girls. Jamie returned about 5 mintues later looking slightly confused. ''Yea. It was the Chinese girls. They complained. All of them. And there was so many of them. They had to do something''. Yes they did.

New zealand was unreal, finished in the Bay of Islands for dans birthday. Had an awesome time those couple of days, with the royal wedding on in the background of the bar on dans birthday night. Flew out of Auckland to sunny Adelaide where Franky and the Moore's where waiting to put us up.

We spent a couple of days driving around adelaide in the vans before heading off to drive the Great ocean Road. Few good stops on the way befor you get to the main stretch. Did the whole week with frankie in our 2 man van, which was illeagle and uncomfortable, but alot more fun. The third passenger had to hide in the back under sleeping bags, we took turns. We led the convoy with our sat nav, and at one point we crossed paths with a police car, just as my big head was sticking out between the center console. The police man turned around, and we pulled over at the next look out point. I hid under sleeping bags, and waited for the police man to open the slide door, and make me feel stupid. Turned out, he had pulled us over becuase Charlie had 'had his head stuck out the window like a dog, and looked like an bloody idiot'. He did a reccy of all our vans, but failed to see me stashed away. So the convoy mooved on towards melbourne, the six of us and our dog charlie.

Melbourne was fun ,spent the first night with our campervans parked in a multy story car park because it was free. Well, it was closed. Had a wicked time in the vans, must have driven some of the best roads in the world, but was nice to get rid of them and get back to life in a hostel.

Sydney was pretty cool. Spent the first night in the hostel 'wake up'. Had a big night out, then headed into town to see the sights. The harbour is pretty cool, pictures show it all really. Got a call from Dans family friend Kim, saying that we were welcome to stay at her's for a couple of nights. She lived in a house just oustisied sydney in a place called Wahroonga. Got welcomed with a massvie roast dinner, and were treated like kings for the next 3 days. She took us out to all the local beaches, which all had amazing surf. Thats if you can Surf. If you can't surf, they all have amazing drowing. Which jamie, charlie and matt found out. They had to be rescued by a surf instructer, because they got caught in a rip about 2 meters out of there depth, they had a body board. As funny as it sounds, I think they nearly drowned. Lessons learned. After a few days, we relucantly left Kim and the family and moved onto byron bay.

Byron was cool, and the weather was starting to pick up as we headed north. Stayed at 'the arts factory lodge', best hostel ever. After only being there a day, a woman drove past, pulled over and asked if we were interested in helping her plant garlic. The weather had started to turn abit, so we negotiated our well deserved high wage, and hoped in. Lesson 1 in traveling, if they offer you money, always get in the car, its probably safe.

She took us to her 5 acre farm, in Mullumbimby a small town about 40 minutes out of byron. She had never planted much garlic before, so it was all new to here aswell. She had just got a small puppy which was not at all cute, and did not at all effect our concentration at work. Never. Her son showed us around, and got us going. He wore bare feet and as he walked told us about the many spiders, snakes, and lizzards that were in the area. He said some were big enough to eat the puppy. Or your foot mate. We worked solid for two days, planting each clove by hand. We then had to furtilise and mulsh the whole field. Everyhing smelt, backs ached and the only water came from a big tank that colected rain water off her questionable corrigated iron roof. She miss counted, and overpaid us on both days which was nice, we made over $150 which paid for a few nights out. When we were finished she came out with a bottle of wine so 'we could all toast the new harvest', which was funny because she only brought one glass. Another miss count maybe. When we were finished she said we had done a fantastic job, and that she felt like a real garlic farmer now. Which was again funny, becuase WE had spent two days farming garlic, and she had spent two days inside. Was worth the money in the end, which we easly blew in cheeky monkeys over the next few nights. Its weird to think if your eating garlic in Byron bay around december time, the chances are, it probably wasnt planted by us. Because I think we made a right hash of it.

After byron we headed up to surfers paradise where we met George , james E, hew?, max and scott, and a couple of big nights out. Surfers was cool, really good party town and amazing beach. Jamie got kicked out of the first club for being too drunk, and depsite swapping t-shirts with max, they still wouldn't let him back in. Spent a few days there then took off up to brisbane. Matt, dan and james went striaght up to Airles beach, so Me charlie and jamie would meet them there in a couple of days. Brisbane was cool, we were were there for the state of oragin match. New south wales, took on Queensotwn, the first of there three matches this year. This one was held in brisbane so there were fans everywhere. We found a lively bar and watched it there, it was a quality match. We hired bikes in the day, and took them around town to see the sites, the city looks alot like london with a big river running thorugh, but is probably abit easier to the eye. Took an 18 hour coach the next day to head up to Airles beach to meet the other boys.

Airlie beach was insane, weather was really nice and we had a few good nights by the lagoon before our whitsundays trip. The boat was amazing, had a wicked group of people, some of the nights were very questionable. The photos that made it to facebook are pretty bad, its the ones that didn't that tell the real story. The beaches and snorkling were unreal. Me and charlie got a video of us swimming with a turtle, which is pretty rare. The coral was amazing, and some of the fish were massive. Jamie was very apprehensive, and was sure the big ones were after him. He found himself back in the dingy after a while.

Back to land and headed up to Carins the next day, another long coach journey but well worth it. Staying at gilligans, another massive hostel with a really good bar. Wicked way to spend my birthday, some really good bars and amazing weather during the day. The boys woke me up with my bunk bed tied up along the top in a web of string. I couldnt really rasie my head. But then they brought in cake, a bottle of rum and a card, which made everything better. Pictures should expain anything i missed out, but had to rush through it all. Flying to Singapore tomorow, got about a week before our first full moon. Oceania has done us proud, but still alot to come in asia. Will try and get another one up soonish.

Cherio. xx

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